From Website Creation to Launch: A Q&A with 3 Customers

From Website Creation to Launch: A Q&A with 3 Customers

John Fraskos
September 26, 2016
September 26, 2016

Lena Franklin, LCSW is a psychotherapist in Atlanta, GA, with an amazing website — make that two amazing websites. Her professional online home, designed with our Ink theme, was just named one of the top therapists websites in Atlanta. And this summer, she and Holistic Health Coach Meghan Toups, LPC launched a wellness travel business with a website powered by our Meth theme. Today, we’ll catch up with Lena, Meghan, and their friend who created both sites, Katelyn Bottoms.

JOHN: Hi! Tell us a bit about yourselves and your businesses:

LENA: I’m a psychotherapist and mindfulness coach with a passion for integrating meditation and yoga into healing work with clients. Being the daughter of a Buddhist mother and Christian father, I was exposed to acceptance and altruism as a young child. These elements are infused into every piece of my work. Both my mindfulness-based psychotherapy business and retreat business are founded on helping others access that innate health and happiness that lives within. Inner Journey Retreats, our new wellness retreat business, was birthed out of a deep love for travel and for the transformational benefits of exploring this vast world. Overall, my approach is all about interpersonal connection, authenticity, and guiding others on a journey towards unearthing their unique gifts.

MEGHAN: I am an integrative psychotherapist and holistic health coach with a wellness business in Atlanta called Merge Health, Fitness & Nutrition. I love to work with people to uncover their inner strength, enhance energy and mood, and heal from the inside out. We explore ways to both physically and emotionally grow with greater self care, nutrition, and exercise. Our retreat business, Inner Journey Retreats, was co-created to help others grow and transform, utilizing the power of travel and social connectedness.

KATELYN: I’m a writer in the advertising and consulting fields. I’ve always approached my role as if boundaries that divide different disciplines are really quite permeable. To be the best writer I can be, I need to understand how these various perspectives come together on a project. So building websites is a hobby that lets me blend writing, design, strategy, user experience, and coding to create one big fluid, functional piece. Bonus: I get to collaborate with energetic people like Lena and Meghan.

JOHN: Let’s talk about the Inner Journey Retreats site that uses our Meth theme. You’ve done a great job customizing it. Can you tell us a little more about that experience?

KATELYN: Codestag themes don’t rely on flashy elements that often cause problems across different platforms. Fortunately, the customizations I made weren’t work-arounds for a bad design. I just played with type, layout, and pictures to repurpose the theme. Sure, Meth is made to be a portfolio theme. But thanks to its customizable options, it isn’t limited to one kind of site.

ALL: And speaking of photography, a key ingredient since these themes are so visual, shout outs Stephanie Albanese for photos on Lena’s site and Keith Taylor for Inner Journey Retreats site photos.

JOHN: Now let’s talk about Lena’s professional site that uses our Ink theme. What can you tell us about working with it?

KATELYN: Once again, the site was built on a solid foundation. With the basics covered, we could explore how we might convey a sense of Lena and her practice to clients, fellow psychotherapists, and others who may want to collaborate. The Ink theme was there when we needed a certain design element, like divider lines or colored boxes to break up text, but it wasn’t intrusive. It gave us the base layer, then we could improvise on top to create a site that expressed beauty and utility.

The Ink theme was there when we needed a certain design element, like divider lines or colored boxes to break up text, but it wasn’t intrusive. It gave us the base layer, then we could improvise on top to create a site that expressed beauty and utility.

JOHN: You’ve used our support desk a few times. In fact, that’s how we discovered these sites. Can you describe that experience?

KATELYN: One sign of a great theme: it’s maintained and updated. Codestag has always been helpful and responded quickly when I had a question. But thanks to the solid coding and a watchful eye, I don’t have to call on you all that often.

JOHN: How have the websites and just blogging in general helped your businesses?

LENA: I must admit, initially, I underestimated the power of a beautiful and authentic web presence. With Katelyn’s expert guidance, we’ve been able to create sites that truly embody the story behind the businesses I offer. On my personal site, the Ink theme showcases my blog, providing me the opportunity to share my message about compassion, healing, and inner balance. Blogging has been an invaluable factor in the rapid business growth I’ve experienced. To my delighted surprise, these platforms have allowed my businesses to take on a life of their own, reaching some of the leaders in my field. For example, I was approached by Pravassa, a well established wellness travel company, to collaborate on social posts and future wellness retreats. It was the beauty and functionality of my personal site that grabbed the attention of this internationally-known company. The number one piece of feedback I’ve received about Inner Journey Retreats’ site is about its ease of use. I feel energized about the possibilities for the future, both domestically and internationally. I’m grateful for the role these Codestag themes have played in the growth of my businesses.

MEGHAN: The power of social media and a beautiful website has astounded me. It’s allowed me to reach people across the world with my writing and services. I have been invited to write for other blogs that have a huge reach, which has provided me with an opportunity to connect globally. Our Inner Journey Retreats website has added such an elegant and powerful aspect to our business. Our clients have noted how professional, beautiful, and easy to navigate our site is. I’m incredibly energized about our work and all that’s ahead. I’m so grateful to have Katelyn’s artistry reflect our business, as it’s often one’s first look into our services.

From left to right – Lena Franklin, Meghan Toups, Katelyn Bottoms

JOHN: Anything you’re working on you’d like to share with us?

LENA: My intention is to widen the audience. I’m committed to sharing the transformative benefits of mindfulness with the world. Through international retreats, corporate talks, writing, and individual healing, I’m deeply connected to the work of helping others feel empowered rather than broken. A book is definitely on the horizon. My website platforms have given me the confidence to pursue business intentions that were once dormant. I’m incredibly optimistic about the future!

MEGHAN: I am working to reach more people. I want to empower and teach others about the inner strength that they each possess to change, grow and heal through natural measures. I definitely see amazing retreats, workshops, and a book in the near future, with continued expansion through blogging, online videos, and teaching.

KATELYN: I’m delving into motion graphics and learning a little more about video production. I’m also working on a new personal site that maybe, just maybe, you’d want to feature here.